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NEIGHBOURS star Jackie Woodburne left This Morning fans gobsmacked after revealing she’s Irish.

The actress – who’s played Susan Kennedy on the Australian soap for 22 years – spoke with a lilt to her voice and opened up about growing up in Carrickfergus and Whitehead.

 Fans of This Morning were left stunned when they found out Jackie Woodburne was Irish
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Fans of This Morning were left stunned when they found out Jackie Woodburne was IrishCredit: Rex Features

Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes pointed out Jackie’s accent to viewers and reminded them she was born and raised in Northern Ireland.

Jackie explained: “I always have it. I get rid of it for Susan. I was talking to my cousin Yvonne who lives in Belfast so it’s in my head. And when I hear [Eamonn’s] lovely voice.”

Her fans couldn’t believe she was actually Irish and took to Twitter to reveal their shock.

After Jackie had spoken about her accent, Eamonn revealed how she'd greeted him when she walked on to the set.

Imitating Jackie's voice, Eamonn told viewers: “When she walked in the first thing she said was, ‘What about you?’ leaving Jackie in fits of giggles.

 She emigrated to Australia when she was a child and has now been on Neighbours for 22 years
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She emigrated to Australia when she was a child and has now been on Neighbours for 22 yearsCredit: Rex Features

Jackie’s family emigrated to Australia when she was just three-years-old and she attended the National Theatre Drama School.

She joined Neighbours in 1994 after writers created the character and her family in an attempt to bring the show back to its roots.

 She talked with Eamonn about her old hometown
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She talked with Eamonn about her old hometownCredit: Rex Features

In October 2009, Susan became the longest-running female character in the soap’s history.

Speaking about her history on the soap, Jackie told Eamonn and Ruth: “It’s 22 years, 23 coming up in August. I can’t believe it.”

Over the years Jackie has been nominated for countless awards and in 2015 she won Best Daytime Star at the Inside Soap Awards.

Before bagging her part in Neighbours, Jackie played Julie “Chook” Egbert in Prisoner.

She also played the sister of her Neighbours co-star Alan Fletcher in Cop Shop from 1982 – 1983.

In 201, she became the lead in Night Terrace, a narrative comedy audio series which won the Convenors’ Award for Excellence in the 2014 Aurealis Awards.


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